leland



(No Model.)

B. A. LELAND.

MUFFLER FOR STEAM OR OTHER HEATERS.

No. 402,336. Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVlN A. LELAND, OF BROOKLYN, NlllV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LEONARD RICHARDSON, OF SAME PLACE.

M U FFLER FOR STEAM OR OTH ER H EATERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,336, dated April 30, 1889.

Application filed February 19, 1889. Serial No. 300,448. (No mcdel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. LELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New Yorlghave invented new and useful Improvements in Muftlers for Steam or other Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to that class of apparatus intended for subduing or wholly avoiding the noise of escaping steam and commonly known as steamunufliers.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device particularly adapted to that class of heaters used in railway-cars and other places, wherein the heat is communicated to different points by hot-water-circulation pipes, the heating medium being steam. In injecting the steam into the confined body of water a rumbling and loud cracking noise has heretofore been unavoidable in the absence of a practicallyoperative muffler, and my purpose is to provide means whereby this objection shall be entirely or practically overcome.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a heater and in ufiier embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line a: Fig. 3 is a partial. section showing a modified form.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 denotes a metallic cylinder of any suitable diameter and length placed upright and provided with a lower screw-cap, 2, and an upper cap, 3. Through the lower cap enters an inlet-pipe, i, communicating with any suitable source of supply, and from the upper cap, 3, an outlet, 5, opens, which conducts the water introduced throughpipe l to a suitable expansioil-chamber and thence to the radiators or heaters. lhe latter may be connected with the inletpipe at in order to give a continuous and repeated circulation of the same body of water through the heater and radiators; but as these features form no part of my present invention a specific description is unnecessary.

Entering the cylinder or drum 1 at the top and preferably through the side of the cap 3 is a steam-inlet pipe, 6, supplied by any suitable generator of steam. This pipe is curved after entering the drum, and is carried directly downward in the center thereof to a point near the mouth of theinlet2,where its depending end is closed by a screw-cap, '7.

Surrounding and closely fitting the depending pipe 6 are a series of flat metal rings or annular plates, 8, piled one upon another nearly to the top of the drum 1. These annular plates rest upon a collar, 9, at the lower end of the pipe, said collar being supported in turn by the screw-cap 7, and in that portion of the pipe 6 inclosed by the annular plates 8, 1 form numerous small perforations or escape-openings 10, arranged as closely together as consistent with the integrity of the pipes in which they are formed.

At the lower end of the drum 1 is an interior annular shelf, 12, projecting horizontally from the point where the vertical wall of the drum unites with the lower cap, 2. This places the shelf 12 about on a level with the screw-cap 7. Upon this shelf, between circular flanges 13, are piled a series of flat annular plates, ll, of such interior diameter as to leave an annular space, 15, between said plates and the plates 8. Each. series of annuli has its top plate in the same horizontal plane, and upon both rests a disk, 16, which is slipped upon the pipe 6, and lies thereon above the perforations 10, said disk having a tight joint on the pipe. A spiral spring, 17, rests on the disk, and is compressed by a washer, 18, held in place by a collar, 19, which maybe made adjustable to vary the tension of the spring. It will be seen that the only escape for the steam passing from the perforations of the pipe (3 will be between the series of annular plates 8, and thence between the outer series, it, between which and the wall of. the drum is left a space, 20.

The outer series of annular plates, 11, may be held in place and prevented from lateral displacemcntby means of tie rods 21, passing through the shelf 12 and lying in notches or openings in the disk 16.

The steam entering by the pipe 6 escapes through the openings 10, and is driven between the annular plates 8, by which it is divided into an infinite number of small jets or particles, which displace the water from between the annuli 8, forcing it into the annular space 15, from which the steam and water pass between the outer annuli, 14:, and then out by way of the pipe 5. lhe force of the steam aids very materially in promoting and accelerating the circulation through the drum, driving the Water out through the outer series of annuli and rapidly heating the same by the manner in which the steam is divided up and brought into contact with the water at an innumerable number of points. This splitting up of the steam into an infinite series of fine threads or strata avoids all the disagreeable noises heretofore occurring in these heaters, providing an extremely simple mufiier, never liable to become disordered, and requiring no periodical repair or renovation.

I, may use the modified construction shown in Fig. 3, in which the two series of annular plates are concave upon their upper faces, the outer series resting directly upon the concave bottomof the drum 1. Being thus inclined upward upon their contracting faces the passage of the steam will be facilitated, while the nesting of the plates, due to their form, tends to preserve them in proper relative position.

1. In a s team mufiler for water-heaters, the combination, with a drum having an inlet and outlet, of a steam-pipe entering the upper portion of the drum and having the closed end dropped nearly to the lower end of said drum, a series of annular plates closely surrounding a perforated portion of said pipe, an outer series of annular plates supported within the drum and leaving an interior and exterior annular space, and an imperforate disk closely surrounding the pipe and resting on both series of annuli, the inlet current of water being compelled to pass between the two series and between the members of the outer series, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-muffier for water-heaters, the combination, with a drum having a water-inlet below and an outlet above, of a steam-pipe hanging centrally in said drum, its lower closed end lying a little above the inlet, a series of annular plates closely surrounding a finely-perforated portion of said pipe and resting one upon the other, an outer series of annular plates resting upon a horizontal annular shelf projecting from the inner face of the drum at its bottom, an imperforate disk closely surrounding the pipe above its perforated portion and resting upon the upper annuli in both series, a spring resting upon said disk, and means for compressing said spring, substantially as described. p

3. In a steam-mufiler for water-heaters, the combination, with a drum having a water-inlet at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end, of a steam-inlet pipe entering said drum at the top and dropping centrally therein, its lower closed end lying above the mouth of the inlet, a series of annular plates closely surrounding afinely-perforated portion of said pipe and supported by a collar, a series of outer annuli resting on a shelf projecting from the lower end of the vertical wall of the drum, an imperforate disk closely surrounding the pipe above the perforated portion and resting on both series of annuli, a spring resting'on said disk, andmeans for compressing the spring, an annular space being leftbetween the twoseries of annuli and between the outer series and the drum, and the disk and shelf being connected by tie-rods, confining the outer annuli, substantially as described; I

4. The combination, with the drum 1, having inlet 2 andoutlet3, of the steam-pipe 6, having perforations 10, the annular plates 8, surrounding said pipe, the annular plates 14, resting on the shelf 12, the disk 16, and spring 17, compressed by the collar19, the annuli 14 being held in place by tie-rods 21, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN A. LELAND.

Witnesses: I

A. H. BRADLEY, J OHN F. HORAN. 

